An Expected End

Last night I was reading part of section 88. It's a long one with a lot of good stuff and so I'm taking it slow. It has a parable in it. I didn't remember that. It's not a parable that is discussed much, but it goes like this:

51 Behold, I will liken these kingdoms unto a man having a field, and he sent forth his servants into the field to dig in the field.

52 And he said unto the first: Go ye and labor in the field, and in the first hour I will come unto you, and ye shall behold the joy of my countenance.

53 And he said unto the second: Go ye also into the field, and in the second hour I will visit you with the joy of my countenance.

54 And also unto the third, saying: I will visit you;

55 And unto the fourth, and so on unto the twelfth.

56 And the lord of the field went unto the first in the first hour, and tarried with him all that hour, and he was made glad with the light of the countenance of his lord.

57 And then he withdrew from the first that he might visit the second also, and the third, and the fourth, and so on unto the twelfth.

58 And thus they all received the light of the countenance of their lord, every man in his hour, and in his time, and in his season—

59 Beginning at the first, and so on unto the ^alast, and from the last unto the first, and from the first unto the last;

60 Every man in his own ^aorder, until his hour was finished, even according as his lord had commanded him, that his lord might be glorified in him, and he in his lord, that they all might be glorified.

The Lord tells those early saints that he is likening them to the kingdom's and inhabitants, to go and ponder upon these things, and to pray unto him while he is near. No keys of understanding are given. It's a strange parable. All I could think the message was is that He comes to everyone, but maybe I was one of the last he would come to. Meaning of course that my desires and wishes would happen, just much latter in the day. As parables have many layers, this maybe what it means for me, but I got out my institute manual and looked it up. It's actually about all the worlds the Lord has created. He goes to one earth, then another and so on. He will come to ours for about 1000 years and then move on to the next. Wow, what a great testimony that he does make more worlds.

My stake president is always telling us to search the scriptures, to feast upon them. That you can't do that at night in bed. That he has yet to take a Thanksgiving dinner to bed, but I have always read my scriptures at night on my bed and I do feast. My 2 sticks are laid out, along with my packet of colored pencils, and a book or two. I usually end up studying for an hour or so and it is study. I often have to make myself stop or I'll stay up too late. Section 88 also has a verse about "seeking Him early"(83). I often wonder if that is not always about the morning, but about our lives. Seek him when you are young, seek him as soon a possible. I did some cross referencing. Deut 4:29-31 and Jer 29:13(10-14) were my favorites of the 4 total. Of course I always read more than the verses suggested. It's easy to do that for me as I love the Old Testament.

Deut 4: 29-31: 29 But if from thence thou shalt ^aseek the Lord thy God, thou shalt ^bfind him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.

30 When thou art in ^atribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the ^blatter days, if thou ^cturn to the Lord thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice;

31 (For the Lord thy God is a ^amerciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the ^bcovenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.

Love that. Love the verses before and following it. He is a merciful God who helps in times of tribulation to those who are obedient. He does not forget his covenant!

Jer 29: 11 : For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected ^aend.

"an expected end." He's going to give us our expected end, weather is the second hour or the 12th. We will get what we want. Although we are so less than he is, so disobedient, so full of the world, so full of the natural man, He doesn't think evil of us. He has thoughts of peace for us. That is so comforting to hear, when I'm in a yucky place. When I feel forgotten. I guess those verses about his qualitites and attributes are suppose to give us confidence in going to him, early or late as the case may be. I find it hard at times to pray to him. I'm feel like I'm begging and for the same things as I begged for for the last 15 years. It seems like It doesn't matter, that his plan for me will take place no matter how hard things are now. Maybe I should just pray for peace, for comfort, for understanding.